The 2016 Presidential Election is rapidly approaching, meaning that many upperclassmen at CHS will be eligible to vote and plan to do so.

However, many of these students are not prepared for the responsibility of voting. Voting requires a general understanding of the candidates and their backgrounds, which many voters, especially high schoolers, do not have due to a general lack of political awareness.

If a student wants to vote, it’s his or her civic responsibility to understand the credentials of the candidate and why they would be a strong leader of our country. Every vote is important.

According to the National Census, 11 percent of voters in the last Presidential Election were between the ages of 18 and 24. Young voters make up a large portion of total voters, so students need to understand that their involvement matters.

Voting isn’t just a step into adulthood, it’s an action that bestows immense responsibility upon the voter. Many of these young voters who will be eligible to vote for the first time in 2016 will likely be doing so just for the sake of voting, for the experience, for the chance to pick up that “I Voted” sticker. Unfortunately, they are probably doing it without a complete understanding of their actions. Young voters are often clueless as to why they voted for whoever they did since they perceive politics more as entertainment than as a national institution.

According to a survey of 60 CHS students, over 54 percent considered themselves only somewhat up-to-date on current political events and over 33 percent placed themselves as either a five or a six on a spectrum of one to 10 measuring how politically aware they are, with 10 being the highest.

Although many students don’t keep up with politics, those that do are able to through various media outlets such as social media, newspapers and television, where they can watch debates and keep up with the candidates.

Some voters only have vague knowledge of candidates’ personalities rather than policies, often through no fault of their own. Modern politicians have moved from focusing on issues plaguing the nation and the world to looking good for a camera.

This election has taken the concept a step further, turning into more of a circus of insults and gaffes rather than discussions of politics.

Politics run the country and politicians run politics. It’s time to wake up, CHS. It’s imperative that young voters gain a better understanding of what the impact of their votes and involvement have on their future.